title: Effects of a personalized system of skill acquisition and an educational program in the treatment of obesity.
abstract: This study tested whether the efficacy of behavioral treatment of obesity (BT) might be improved through the use of a personalized system of skill acquisition (PSA) with reinforcement contingent on the mastery of changes in eating and exercise behaviors. A total of 108 obese adults were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) BT + PSA; (2) BT; or (3) a weight-loss educational (WLE) program. At posttreatment, the BT + PSA and BT conditions demonstrated significant beneficial changes in caloric consumption, intake of fats, and level of physical activity. Both conditions also produced equivalent reductions in body weight (Ms = 7.9 kg for BT + PSA and 9.5 kg for BT) that were significantly greater than the reduction accomplished in the WLE condition (M = 1.7 kg). These findings suggest that the addition of a PSA may not produce better outcome than standard behavioral treatment and that education alone is not sufficient to produce weight loss.
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0165, USA.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leermakers
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Guyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012201:Reward